Generations
by Render-Desu
Summary: Time has moved forward in the lands of the shinobi. The children of the Konoha 11 have grown to adulthood, and as such, have had children of their own. Due to an unforeseen disaster, the remnants of Konoha have moved to Uzushiogakure, to begin life anew.
1. Chapter 1

Author's disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I do not own any of the characters, locations, or techniques created in either the official manga or official anime, or any created outside of this story. I do, however, make full claim to the characters, locations, and techniques created within this story. I spent a lot of my time and talent to get this story to be what I wanted it to be, and if you would like to use it, simply ask me, and give credit where it is due.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1, A New Generation<strong>

Standing at attention in the Uzushiogakure academy, Uzumaki Minato felt a little awkward. The entire village had turned out for this important occasion, the first graduating class since the re-founding of the village five years ago. Granted, the village was not so populous that the crowd was overwhelming, but the fact remained that everyone was there. It was an important event, to be sure, but with only six graduates, the spotlight was a little unnerving. His new clothes were a little stuffy, but he figured they would loosen up with time. Black cargo pants and a gray and green shirt, with his shinobi sandals. The dark clothes made his blond hair stand out, which he kept pulled back in a short ponytail, in the Nara style of his mother. He got his looks from his father, although his father grew his own hair longer, much like the Hyuuga side of the family.

His father was there, Uzumaki Namikaze, giving the congratulatory speech. Not because Namikaze was his father, but because he was the Uzukage, and it was his job. Standing there in his white robe and hat, blond hair bound neatly behind his back, he was speaking fervently about the importance of building the new generation of shinobi, not just to pass on the legacy of ninja, but because shinobi were still the protectors of the peace. The Uzukage, his lavender eyes big and full, showed little emotion, but his words conveyed more than enough meaning.

Minato's mother was in the front row, seated with the parents of the other students. Uzumaki Chiyo, formerly Nara Chiyo, had been his instructor here at the academy, and would continue her role with the next group of students. She diverted her attention from his father to himself, a proud smile crossing her face. That was all the re-assurance Minato needed. It had been a little bit daunting, having to live up to the legends that were his ancestors, as well as his father being the Uzukage. With his grandparents, Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuuga Hinata, Nara Shikamaru, and Temari of the Sand, all being heroes, history class had made him want to hide his head in his book. But after reading more and more about all of their accomplishments, and remembering the love they had for him before their deaths, he was more proud than ever to bear their blood!

Not that he was the only one. On stage with him, were representatives of some of the most powerful bloodlines to have walked the streets of Konoha. Immediately to his left was Hatake Sora, followed by her twin brother, Shisui. Their grandfather had been the Copy Ninja, Hatake Kakashi, and it was said that he had trained the Konoha 12 himself (although, everyone said he was good at lying too.). Next to him, Rock Min, who was descended from Rock Lee on her father's side, and Tenten on her mother's side(She had been known to pray daily in thanks that she received her looks from her mother's side of the family). To her left stood Haruno Ryuu, granddaughter of the legendary kunoichi, Haruno Sakura. Apparently, they had the odd custom of keeping their mother's name in that family. On the end stood Yamanaka Toru, whose father had been a cousin of Yamanaka Ino. These five newly graduated Genin, along with himself, represented the strength of the past, and the hope of the future, and he was proud to call them his friends.

His father, the Uzukage, was finishing his speech.

"We come, at last, to the closing of this ceremony. May each of you feel the pride and congratulations of our entire village. May you also not forget the reason why you are the first graduating class of the Uzushiogakure Academy, and the importance of protecting your charges, so that the disaster may never happen again!"

Together, the graduates responded loudly, "Hai!"

"You will now be assigned to your Genin Teams, according to your tests, abilities, and purpose. Your senseis have been selected based on the function each team will perform. Team Ryoji, led by Hyuuga Ryoji, will consist of Hatake Sora, Hatake Shisui, and Yamanaka Toru. Your sensei will explain to you your team function and individual roles within it."

Applause met the announcement. The three mentioned immediately moved to line up next to their sensei along the right wall.

"That of course leaves the three of you still present on the stage. You will form under the name of your new sensei as Team Asuma, led by Yuhi Asuma."

More applause, albeit a little confused, due to Asuma's lack of presence within the room, rang off the walls.

"Your sensei is on a mission and will meet you tomorrow morning at the outcropping over the beach. There he will explain to you your team function, as well as your individual roles within it. Dismissed!"

Minato's father took off his hat, indicating he was not acting in his official capacity at the moment. He turned and smiled, then let a big whoop! "Baka," Minato thought to himself, but he couldn't help but smile. He loved his dad, even if he was a big goof. The crowd applauded once more then began to disperse. The village wasn't going to run itself, after all. Those with ties to the graduates stuck around, offering their personal congratulations and well wishes. Minato's mother came up to the stage and gave him a big hug, then offered a smile to the rest of the Genin. As their teacher, she had been instrumental in their learning the techniques necessary to graduate. The Uzukage was immediately called away to deal with some urgent matters, but not before mussing up Minato's hair.

"Well, Minato, I guess we're going to be teammates from now on."

Rock Min was dressed in a light blue gi, with the sleeves torn off. She wore the shinobi sandals, too, but hers had an extra strap across the toes. While she was lean and muscular, she was not overly muscled, as her taijutsu required flexibility over mass. She wasn't carrying her twin short swords today, which was unusual. He was sure she would have them in the morning.

"Yeah, Min. You, me, and Ryuu. I wonder how Asuma-sensei will treat us, and what exactly we will be doing. I guess we'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out."

"Well, I'm not too curious. I mean, look at us. Min is a weapons and taijutsu specialist, you are a byakugan user with super-genes and unlimited potential, and I'm a medical specialist with some genjutsu training mixed in. Seems pretty clear, we're going to be a hit squad."

Haruno Ryuu had wondered over to chat with them. She wore a black leather jacket, with a yellow shirt and black cargo pants that mirrored Minato's. Her grandmother's pink hair had found its way to her.

"Well Ryuu, while I have to agree with your evaluation, I'm still anxious to meet Asuma-sensei tomorrow."

Minato looked over at his cousin's team. Ryoji was a master with his byakugan, even more so than the Uzukage. He was also very strict, and a surgical precisionist with his taijutsu, the Gentle Fist. He had learned from his father, Hyuuga Neji. His team had the Hatake twins, the village pranksters. They could get into and out of trouble better than any he had ever heard of, including his grandfather, the Last Hokage. Finally, there was Yamanaka Toru. His family's secret jutsu was the scariest. Mind manipulation. With that team, it appeared that Team Ryoji was going to be an information gathering unit. They would most likely be the ones to provide intel on targets, and Team Asuma would be the ones to take them out. This was going to get interesting.

Walking over to Team Ryoji, Minato wanted to congratulate the rest of the Genin. He got along pretty well with the twins, but Toru wasn't exactly the friendliest of people. Not that he was mean, he just didn't talk much.

"Hey guys, congratulations!"

"Oh, Minato. You too, man. Looks like you've got yourself a pretty strong attack force."

Hatake Shisui had the white hair that stood out in a crowd of children, almost as much as Minato's blond. His face lit up whenever anyone paid attention to him. It was easier to tell with him, because he didn't wear a face mask, unlike his sister.

"Yeah, Shisui, we figured that, too. You guys look like you're going to be the intel gathering team. Do your work well!"

"Miii-na-to! You look so handsome, just like your father! You be careful not to get hurt, and don't let those girls get in your way! If you want, I can straighten them out any time you need me to, okay!"

Sora's eyes blinked rapidly whenever she talked to him, and Minato wasn't sure if it was just a facial tic or what. Of course, with her mask on, he couldn't tell if she was smiling, or making fun of him. She kind of creeped him out a little. The twins were dressed in matching, green shirts and pants. Shisui had his hair cut short, while Sora grew hers out, with it being longer in front than in the back.

"No, Sora. I'm quite happy with my teammates. They're good shinobi, and our skills will complement each other, just like yours and Toru's will."

"Mm. Good luck, Minato."

That was more than Toru usually said, actually. With blond hair like Minato's, he had to wonder if the Yamanaka clan wasn't somehow distantly related to the Namikaze clan from whom his own hair color came. His family had run the flower shop in Konoha, before the disaster, and now they were in charge of growing the herbs used in making soldier pills and medicines. Dressed in a red shirt and black cargo pants, he also wore gloves at all times. Minato suspected this had something to do with why Toru didn't like shaking hands, but he wasn't sure.

"Well guys, I'll let you get back to your families. We'll see you around."

Minato turned to head out the door and head home, which just happened to be outside the Uzukage's office. He would get a good night's rest, and be ready for his first training session with his new sensei.

"Bye Miii-na-to!"

Hmm, he wasn't going to miss Sora's humiliations, that was for sure!

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><p>In the morning, the sun was bright and the sky was clear as Minato ran to the appointed meeting place. The outcropping over the beach was a well known location in Uzushiogakure, as it looked out over the channel to the mainland. There was a watch tower there, which was always manned to warn of incoming ships, not that there were many who would try to come to the island without permission. The only people who knew how to navigate the dangerous channel were Uzushio's own ferry captains. They would make daily trips to the mainland in order to bring refugees and supplies to the shelter of their island. The refugees' numbers had dwindled, but the supplies still needed to be gotten. These supply runs were guarded by individual Chunin shinobi. One day, Minato would also guard supply runs, but until then, he had to work on improving his skills by going on missions.<p>

As he neared the watch tower, he saw his teammates, decked out in their full uniform. Rock Min, still wearing her gi, now had her twin short swords strapped to her back, as well as an equipment pouch secured to her leg. Haruno Ryuu had ditched the jacket, but had replaced it with a medic bag strapped to her bag, as well as the standard issue equipment pouch on her leg. Minato wore an equipment bag on each leg, due to his need to be properly balanced in order to perform his gentle fist taijutsu. Admittedly, he wasn't very good at it yet, but with his dad and cousin, he was learning a lot. Now that Ryoji had his own team, Minato was going to have to work harder on his own.

"Good morning team, any sign of our sensei?"

"Good morning Minato. We were just saying that he should be here any moment now. Ryuu thinks he'll be late because he had a mission yesterday. But I bet he'll be here right on time."

"You would be correct, Rock Min."

Yuhi Asuma stepped out from behind a rock at the edge of the outcropping. He had red eyes and a Fu Man Chu. He was also bald. He wore the full Jonin gear, complete with equipment vest, and a long, thin chain swung down from the side of his hip and back up to his pocket. He looked like he'd had very little sleep, and maybe could use an afternoon nap.

"Ah! Asuma-sensei! Good morning!"

"Good morning to you three, as well. It is a fine day to begin your training. We shall begin with introductions. I will go first. My name is Yuhi Asuma. I am a mid-range fighter, preferring not to let my opponents get too close, without letting them get far enough away to use powerful jutsu against me."

Asuma leaned against the side of the watch tower, and focused his attention on Min.

"Now, tell me your name, your skills, and what you want to accomplish as a shinobi."

"Well, my name is Rock Min. I have been trained in the fine arts of hand-to-hand combat and weapons, with a focus on the short sword. My blades have been forged with chakra steel, and I have been practicing putting my element, earth, into them, in an effort to make them stronger. I enjoy close range combat, and would like to one day teach taijutsu to future generations of shinobi."

Ryuu stepped forward, angling to not be the last to speak.

"I'm Haruno Ryuu. I am a medic-nin in training. I am able to focus my chakra into fine strong points which allow me to perform surgery in the field, if necessary. I am also able to cause huge amounts of destruction within a small area with this same skill. I have received some training in genjutsu, with an emphasis on stealth. I want to be able to support my friends, and help them to be the best they can. I eventually want to run a hospital in Uzushiogakure."

Now it was Minato's turn.

"I am Uzumaki Minato. I, too, am a close range fighter. As you can tell by my eyes, I have the byakugan, and I am training in the art of the Gentle Fist. I don't have a grand plan to accomplish anything. I simply want to use my skills to protect my family, friends, and village. I never want to see a repeat of the disaster that happened five years ago."

Asuma stepped forward then, and with an interesting look on his face, leaned in close to Minato and asked him, "How much do you remember about what happened five years ago?"


	2. Chapter 2

Author's disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I do not own any of the characters, locations, or techniques created in either the official manga or official anime, or any created outside of this story. I do, however, make full claim to the characters, locations, and techniques created within this story. I spent a lot of my time and talent to get this story to be what I wanted it to be, and if you would like to use it, simply ask me, and give credit where it is due.

Many characters from canon in this chapter. Don't expect it too often. Most of this story takes place in the future, but I'm not totally against flashbacks.

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><p><strong>Chapter 2, The Disaster<strong>

Minato was just waking up. It was early, just before sunrise. His father had promised to teach him how to use his byakugan this morning, and he had hardly slept. His Great-Uncle Neji had started using his at six, but Minato's mother had wanted him to wait. Now, he was ten, and his father was going to show him all sorts of wonderful things. Minato already knew how to gather his chakra, and make a clone. His mother had shown him, since she was an instructor at the Konoha Ninja Academy. He had secretly been channeling chakra to his eyes, hoping to awaken his byakugan, but as of yet, it hadn't been successful.

Minato ran down the walkway from his room to the dining room, where he could smell his mother's cooking. This was going to be a special day, and he didn't want to miss a single thing!

"Good morning, mother!"

"Good morning, dear. Eat quickly, and then head out to the dojo. Your father is preparing for your lesson."

"Hai!"

After wolfing down his food, Minato ran to the dojo which was across the garden from the main house. Respectfully, he gently slid the door open, bowed, entered quietly, and then slid the door closed. His father was sitting at the far end of the room, in front of a picture of grandmother Hinata. She had died when Minato was young, due to a weakness in her heart. The funeral that day had been the largest seen in Konoha since the passing of the Third Hokage.

"Good morning, father. Good morning, grandmother."

"Good morning, Minato. You do well to show your respects to your grandmother. She loved you very much, as the rest of your family does. Shall we begin?"

"Hai! I am excited to learn the byakugan from you father!"

"If you learn this well, it will aid you in your future training, as it will allow you to see how your teachers use chakra to use the jutsu they are teaching. Now close your eyes, and channel chakra to them. I know you know how, because I've seen you doing it. Now with the chakra in your eyes, focus it into the front of the eyeballs and stretch the lens out, gently. There, that's it. Not too much, or you will damage your eyes. Now open your eyes, and without moving your head, read the scroll I have placed above the door behind you."

As Minato opened his eyes, the entire world took on an eerie, gray glow. With his byakugan activated, he could see more than just what was in front of him, but also what was outside the dojo, under the floor, and, if he focused his vision behind himself, he could see the door, but he couldn't see the scroll above it.

"Father, I can see the door, and I can see the ceiling above the door, but I can't see any scroll."

"As well you shouldn't. This is the blind spot in the byakugan. Know it well, for it is the only weakness in this technique. Tilt your head down, and focus on that spot again, and you should be able to read the scroll."

Doing so, Minato saw the scroll this time, and it showed a hand sign, along with a chakra flow chart. The scroll said, "Shadow Clone Jutsu."

"It's grandfather's technique! The Shadow Clone Jutsu! But, it's so simple, why doesn't everyone use it?"

"Minato, not everyone CAN use it, because it uses a LOT of chakra. Your grandfather uses it because not only does he have a lot of chakra, but he has the Kyuubi, which helps regenerate his chakra at a phenomenal rate. For people without those kinds of chakra reserves, the Shadow Clone Jutsu is dangerous to use, and if you can't regenerate chakra quickly, it leaves you defenseless for a time. The reason I am teaching it to you now is because we, you and I, have received the huge chakra reserves from your grandfather through our blood. Although we cannot regenerate chakra like he does, being able to use Shadow Clones has its benefits, as you will see in your later years of training. Now, focus your byakugan on me, while I perform the Shadow Clone Jutsu."

Watching his father, Minato could see the chakra flow throughout his body, even down to small points located at intersections of chakra "veins." Namikaze formed the hand sign, and directed the chakra to flow where he desired, and triggered the jutsu. Minato was amazed to see two of his father sitting still in front of him. He couldn't even tell the two apart. Namikaze then performed a regular clone jutsu, which Minato recognized. Immediately, the difference was clear.

"With the regular clone jutsu, you simply created an empty bag that looks like you, but it doesn't have any substance. With the Shadow Clone Jutsu, you divided your chakra in half, and formed a whole other 'you.' No wonder other people shouldn't use this technique!"

Namikaze released his two techniques. Minato saw that most of the chakra returned to his father, but there was some substantial loss. Now it made perfect sense.

"Minato, turn and look at the main house, and search for your mother. You will be able to see her from here, and you should be able to see her chakra. You will see the difference in chakra reserves between us, and you will be able to realize why we are so special."

Minato turned and immediately found his mother, through two walls. Her chakra looked different compared to his fathers. Not insignificant, but definitely weaker in strength. Also, her chakra had a strange darkness to it, whereas his father's had a light blue tint. Minato immediately turned his attention back to the room and focused his byakugan on himself. His own chakra was dense, like his father's, but dark, like his mother's.

Just as he was about to ask his father about this, an alarm went off along the outer wall of the village. Namikaze jumped up, activated his byakugan, and started running to the door of the dojo.

"Minato, go to your mother and do what she tells you! Konoha is under attack! Run, son!"

Minato sprang into action heading out the door behind his father, but instead of following him out the main gate, Minato headed for the house where he could still see his mother. She was rushing for the garden and would meet him at the door at this rate.

"Mother, father is heading to the main gate! He said that Konoha is under attack!"

"Come with me, Minato! We have to get to the academy, to gather the children and the elderly, so we can head to safety while the Jonin defend against the attack!

Uzumaki Namikaze headed to the main gate of the village, where the alarm had been sounded. From every direction, Jonin were arriving, alert and ready. Squad leaders began sounding off orders to form up, and there, flying down the main road, was his father, Sixth Hokage of Konohagakure, Uzumaki Naruto.

"Dad, what do we know?"

"Nami, we've had reports of an army of shinobi, numbering in the thousands, rising out of the ground outside of the village. They're all dressed in white, and have gold masks. They're not exactly hiding, but then again, with numbers like these, it could get hairy."

Naruto leaped up on top of the wall, Namikaze right beside him. The view was disheartening to say the least. It appeared to be over fifty thousand shinobi, although it was hard to tell with the sun glinting off their masks. They stood at the ready, appearing to be waiting for a command. Naruto begin shouting orders at the squad leaders.

"Shikamaru, you're with me! Bushy-Brows, get your team down in front of the gate, don't let any of them near it! Choji, you and your team are with Lee. Neji, get your team up here and see if you can find out where these guys are coming from! Ino, Sakura, get the hospital on standby. I don't know what's happening, but I don't like it. Namikaze, you and your team are to assist in the evacuation of the civilians. I am entrusting you with the future of this village, should the worst happen. The rest of you, get to flanking positions on the walls, and be prepared to defend this village. No one attacks unless we are attacked first! Go!"

Immediately, teams went into action. Within thirty seconds, the plans were completed. The Hokage watched as the army of white and gold stood motionless on the ground below. Then, one of the shinobi stepped forward.

"We are the Light! We have come to bring the world into the Light! Put down your weapons, open your gates, and allow us in, that we me show you the beauty of the Light!"

Naruto, looking perplexed, turned to Shikamaru.

"What do you think?"

"I've never heard of this, but I don't think it would be wise to let our guard down."

Naruto nodded, and then turned back to the shinobi who had spoken.

"We are not familiar with this 'Light' you are talking about. How can we know that you will not attack us if we lower our defenses?"

The speaker stood still for a moment, then responded.

"We are the Light! We have come to judge you, and if you are found deserving, we will show you the Light! If you are not found worthy, you will be eliminated! If you do not do as you are told, you will be eliminated!"

Naruto blinked. He then turned to his village and gave his next order with the clearest resolve he had ever had.

"Destroy these petty zealots!"

At his command, hundreds of kunai were launched into the air, enough to block out the sun. They landed, striking their targets with deadly accuracy, dropping the shining enemy all around the village wall.

The speaker lifted his voice over the noise.

"You have chosen death over absolution. You will be eliminated. May the Light shine down upon you with swift vengeance!"

Upon speaking his final word, the speaker stepped back into his rank. The masks of the enemy shinobi turned red as blood and began to glow. Naruto gave the order to take cover, and just as he ducked behind the wall, the Light released their attack, en masse.

Red light flashed at the gate. Rock Lee and Choji, along with their teams, were incinerated where they stood. The gate melted into a puddle of molten liquid, washing over any who stood guard behind it, trapping them for eternity in a lava tomb. The red light continued burning the buildings beyond the gate, setting anything they touched ablaze.

Naruto, seeing his friends killed, gave the order to charge! He called forth the power of Kurama, the Nine-tailed Fox, and leaped into battle, smashing red masks, and tearing into white clothed bodies everywhere he went. The remaining Leaf Shinobi surged from the walls, intent on exacting revenge for their fallen friends.

The masks of the Light changed from red to blue and began to glow again. This time, instead of firing of molten heat, a fog began to seep out from the masks. It began rolling along the ground at a frightening speed, and any Leaf shinobi who were caught in the fog, were instantly encased in a block of ice. Most of the Leaf shinobi were able to retreat back to the safety of the wall, but more of their friends had been killed. Naruto found Shikamaru who was intently watching the battle unfold, being guarded by Neji's team, who were frantically searching the area.

"Tell me what's going on!"

"Hokage-sama, we can't see where they are coming from! There aren't any tunnels, no tracks, nothing. They just appeared out of nowhere!"

"Naruto, I've been analyzing the attacks. None of the Light are fighting back individually. They aren't even attempting to dodge our attacks. The only thing they seem capable of doing is mass attacks of large scale destruction. This suggests that they are being controlled from somewhere else, by someone with enormous power. If we can find that person, and defeat them, we should be able to stop this battle."

"Alright, Shikamaru, continue to evaluate our situation. Neji, you and your team, capture one of these things, and see if you can figure out what makes them work. Then report to Shikamaru. If you guys come up with something, send me a signal, and I'll come back. Now that the fog is dissipating, I'm heading back down there before they can get their next attack up and running."

Naruto ran back down to the battle, this time accompanied by Tenten, Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino. Shino's bugs began swarming over the nearest foes, draining their chakra. Kiba and Akamaru leaped and slashed through the ranks, destroying anything they came in contact with. Tenten was wielding a huge katana, cutting through tree and enemy as though they were paper.

Naruto, in the meantime, was sending Rasengans left and right, smashing the bodies of masked figures in to small pieces. As the body count was starting to pile up, the masks of the enemies changed color again, this time to a brilliant white. As the glow built up, Naruto called for an immediate retreat, but it was too late. Instantly, Lightning surged from each of the enemies to those around them forming a net of electricity, and any of the Leaf shinobi unlucky enough to be caught between, were electrocuted. Tenten, Kiba, and Akamaru were too slow. Their bodies were cooked beyond recognition. Shino and Naruto escaped to the wall again. Shikamaru and Neji were waving them over.

"One of Neji's Genin got caught in that last blast while examining the captive. Neji said that the captive is dead, and on closer inspection, all of the Light appear to be dead. Whoever is controlling them must have enormous chakra reserves to pull this off. We still don't know where the controller is."

"Hokage-sama, if I may, I think my bugs may be able to follow the chakra of the controller back to its source. If you will follow me, I will lead you to this miscreant, and we shall deal with him accordingly."

"Shikamaru is in charge. Keep up the attack, but have everyone be on the lookout for the next attack. These things aren't to be taken lightly. Shino, lead the way."

Shino and Naruto jumped back down off the wall. Shikamaru began giving orders. He was trying to set up some kind of defense against these monstrous attacks. Shino let his bugs go, having had a taste of the chakra they were looking for, they began moving off toward the mountains a few miles off to the left. Naruto and Shino took off at a sprint climbing into the trees to avoid any further blue fogs which may be forthcoming.

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><p>Uzumaki Namikaze led his team to the academy as ordered. Meeting up with several members of the Hyuuga clan, and his own family along the way, they began corralling the civilians into the academy, where the entrance to the escape tunnels had been dug after the re-building of Konoha over thirty years ago. Just as the first civilians started entering the tunnels, a flash of red light streaked through the village, catching everything it touched on fire. He needed to get these people moving now!<p>

Directing the traffic and keeping his eye on the battle from his location, he was able to see the blue fog roll through the forest and in through the open gate. Many of the slower moving civilians were killed instantly. Unfortunately, this just made the rest of his job a lot easier.

He was able to finish getting the last of the civilians into the tunnel just as he saw the army of Light rushing through the open gate, their masks having turned black.

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><p>Having prepared for another mass attack, Shikamaru was unprepared for the Light army to begin rushing through the open gate. He gave the order to defend the village, but the horde swarmed through, unfazed by any attack put up by the Leaf shinobi. Just as the last of them were in the gate, their masks turned an ominous black and began glowing.<p>

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><p>Naruto and Shino had come upon a cave. Shino's bugs were covering the entrance, but couldn't seem to go through. Naruto stepped up, formed a Rasengan with his Fox-Chakra arm, and smashed through the barrier in one blow. They stepped through the rubble and found a peculiar sight. In the middle of the cave, seated on a throne, was a shinobi dressed all in white, wearing a golden mask. Seated in chairs in front of him, were four other shinobi, also dressed in white, but each was wearing a different colored mask, red, blue, white, and black. The man in the throne had his hand on the head of the one in black, whose mask was glowing.<p>

"Ah, it seems we've been found out. Look my children, we have guests. You will have to excuse them, they are a bit drained at the moment, but given time, they will greet you appropriately."

Naruto stepped forward, rage contorting his face.

"Who are you, and why do you attack Konoha?"

The golden mask leaned forward slightly, and cocked his head to the side.

"Dear Hokage, I already told you who we are, and why we are attacking, but you are incorrect in your assumption. We are not attacking Konohagakure. Well, not just Konoha. No, we are attacking ALL of the hidden villages, at once. All hidden villages were given the same ultimatum, all villages refused, and all villages will be destroyed, right now."

As he said these last two words, the black mask flashed, and an explosion rocked the valley, shaking the mountain cave in which they were standing. Naruto screamed and flew out of the opening to see a huge cloud of smoke and fire in the direction of Konoha. Shino watched the masked shinobi, but in the blink of an eye, the Sixth Hokage had the golden mask by the throat, golden chakra crushing his throat.

"You will pay for what you've done!"

At that moment, the Red Mask turned and silently attacked Naruto, forcing him to drop the Golden Mask, who coughed, trying to catch his breath. Red Mask was a blur of kicks and punches, and Naruto had his hands full blocking them all. Shino leaped to attack the Golden Mask, insects flying towards the enemy, buzzing angrily. Suddenly, Shino's insects stopped in mid flight, and fell to the ground, completely frozen in place. This had just become a three on two fight.

With his bugs out of commission, Shino proceeded to launch kunai at the Blue Mask. These were easily deflected, but it gave Shino enough time to launch a jutsu at his opponent. Naruto, meanwhile, had decided he was done with Red Mask. He reached out with a chakra arm, and crushed him in the grip of pure energy. Turning his attention back to the rest of the room, he saw the Golden Mask perform a hand seal, while looking at Shino. Naruto roared with the power of the Kyuubi behind it, breaking Golden Mask's concentration, but disrupting Shino's as well. Blue Mask took the opportunity to jump at Shino but was caught in mid-air by another of Naruto's chakra arms, which proceeded to smash Blue Mask against the wall of the cave, repeatedly.

Not wanting to wait around for any more of the masked shinobi to wake up, Shino began performing another jutsu, this time aiming at the still inactive White and Black Masks. More bugs flew from Shino's clothing, forming a ball which flew towards his enemies, intent on draining the life from them. Just as the bugs landed on the White Mask, a huge electrical blast rocked the cave, crisping Shino's bugs, and paralyzing Shino in the process.

Naruto, seemingly unaffected by the lightning, turned to destroy this new foe. But just as his chakra arm reached to grab the White mask, the enemy disappeared.

"Oh, lightning step, like I haven't seen this before."

Naruto began to chase the White Mask around the cave, having to focus entirely on movement just to keep up. While he was distracted, Golden Mask had recovered. Running over to Black Mask, he punched his fist into the back of his compatriot's head, smashing the skull and grasping the grey tissue within.

Naruto flashed to where Black Mask was being fondled, and lifted his fist to attack both Golden Mask and Black Mask. Just as his fist came crashing down, White Mask stepped in between, taking the brunt of the blow and deflecting it, smashing itself to bits.

Golden Mask twisted his hand inside Black Mask's skull.

"My victory."

Everything exploded. Naruto could feel his body flying through the air, his legs torn from his body. If he hadn't covered his head with his arms, he would have been decapitated. His left arm was burned off, his right mangled. The fox's chakra had protected his internal organs, but just barely. He landed on the ground next to Shino's body, or what was left of it. Naruto coughed up blood, and realized he was in trouble.

"Well, I hadn't realized fighting a Jinchuriki would be this difficult. You destroyed my children. But don't worry, I'll make more. I'm sure I'll be able to find some suitable corpses in the rubble of Konoha."

Naruto lifted his head up to see Golden Mask standing over him. He appeared not to have been wounded in the explosion, with a just a little bit of soot on his clothing.

"You…won't…escape here. I'll…make sure of it."

Golden Mask leaned down.

"How are you going to do that, hmm?"

"With this!"

A golden chakra hand appeared from out of the wall above Naruto's head, a high-pitched whining sound filling the cave. Golden Mask covered his ears and jumped backwards, but it was too late. The Rasen-Shuriken flew at him at such a speed, he didn't even have time to dodge. The initial pass took both of Golden Mask's legs. As it continued, the Rasen-Shuriken hit the wall of the cave, and carved right into it, burrowing into the mountain. As Golden Mask screamed, the Rasen-Shuriken expanded, blowing the mountain away. Golden Mask tumbled to the ground screaming epithets and curses, but Naruto passed out, unable to take the strain and shock any more, and Golden Mask's screams fell on deaf ears.

* * *

><p>Uzumaki Namikaze had barely gotten his barrier up in time. The blast from the army of Light had decimated the village. Nothing was left but smoldering ruins. The wall that had surrounded Konoha was gone. Only part of the academy stood, and it wouldn't stand up to a stiff breeze at this point. Tears began forming in his eyes, and using his byakugan, he began scanning the village for survivors. He gave the order to the nearest Chunin to continue the evacuation, and ran off into the rubble and smoke, searching frantically for the smallest sign of life. He searched near the gate, but found no-one. He searched near the remains of the hospital, but all was silent. He headed out into the forest, but couldn't find a soul.<p>

Just then, an explosion rocked the valley, drawing Namikaze's attention to the mountains, where a huge avalanche covered in blue chakra was sliding down the face. Knowing what that explosion was, and recognizing the chakra, Namikaze raced to his father's side, ready to bring the rest of the mountain down upon his foe.

Golden Mask was in trouble. His legs were gone. Not just removed, but utterly destroyed, and he was bleeding heavily. That bastard Naruto had gone and died, but he made such a scene that anyone within fifty miles would know where they were, and probably come to investigate. In agony, Golden Mask took some blood from his wound, formed a hand sign, and summoned a giant hawk. The hawk grabbed him delicately, but not gently, in one claw and took off, heading for wherever home was.

Namikaze arrived on the scene, having watched the giant hawk take off, and knowing that his father only summoned toads. He couldn't believe what he saw. There was his father, lying in a pool of blood, unconscious. Namikaze stripped his coat off, ripped it in two, and used the pieces to tie tourniquets to his father's legs, stopping the bleeding. He didn't dare to touch his arms, as those weren't bleeding, but they might start.

"Oh father, what did you get yourself into?"

Naruto coughed, and opened his eyes at his son's voice.

"Hello son. I was just dreaming about your mother. You know, she was the most beautiful woman in Konoha."

"Yeah dad, I remember. You couldn't wait to come home to her every day."

Naruto grinned.

"Nami, I'm dying. The Fox is keeping me alive, but it won't last too much longer. I have to fulfill a promise. I have to set him free. We agreed to this a long time ago, and I always keep my promises. He won't attack you, or anyone else. He is a friend of the village."

Namikaze started crying, but nodded, because he knew about this. He just wasn't prepared for it to happen today.

"I'm releasing the seal now. I'm going to have some words with my oldest friend before I go. I'll be sure to tell your mother hello for you."

"Goodbye dad and thank you."

Naruto closed his eyes. His stomach turned black and a hole appeared to open in it. The thickest red energy poured out. It was charged with emotion! Anger, frustration, sadness, and love poured over Namikaze as the energy began to coalesce into the form of the Nine-tailed Fox, Kurama.

"**AH NARUTO, AT LONG LAST YOU ARE FULFILLING YOUR PROMISE TO ME. I AM SADDENED BY HOW IT HAS HAPPENED. YOU EASILY HAD ANOTHER FIFTY YEARS OF LIFE IN YOU. YOUR SACRIFICE HERE TODAY SHALL NOT BE FORGOTTEN.**"

"Kurama, it is good to see you free. Please watch over the village and my family. I go now to be with Hinata, who is waiting for me. Goodbye my friend, and thank you. Without you, my life would never have been what it was."

"**GOODBYE NARUTO.**"

With that, Namikaze watched as his father, the greatest Shinobi in Konoha's history, passed on into the next life. Kurama waited in reverent silence until Namikaze moved to stand up.

"**UZUMAKI NAMIKAZE! YOUR FATHER HAS BEEN MY ONLY FRIEND, SINCE THE TIME OF RIKUDO SENNIN. YOUR GRANDFATHER, WHOM YOU WERE NAMED FOR, WAS MY GREATEST ENEMY. I HOLD BOTH MEN IN HIGH REGARD. AS SUCH, I PRESENT TO YOU THIS SCROLL, A CONTRACT WITH ME AND MY KIND. WITH IT YOU MAY SUMMON ME OR MY BRETHREN, AND WE WILL SERVE THE CALL OF UZUMAKI. ONLY YOU OR YOUR CLAN MAY USE IT, AS I HOLD YOUR FAMILY IN SUCH HIGH ESTEEM. DO YOU WISH TO MAKE THIS CONTRACT WITH ME?**"

Namikaze bit his thumb, smeared his blood across his hand, and placed his palm upon the scroll.

"**IT IS DONE! GOODBYE UZUMAKI, I GO TO FIND A HOME FOR ME AND MY KIND. LEAD YOUR PEOPLE WELL, AND I WILL SEND WORD WHEN I HAVE FOUND A HOME.**"

With that, the Nine-tailed fox disappeared.

* * *

><p>Uzumaki Minato walked in the dark cave with his mother for what felt like days. They would stop to eat at regular intervals throughout the tunnel. The shinobi had thought to set stores of rations down here, and even latrines had been dug. After a long walk, and two stops to sleep, the civilians exited the cave into sunlight. They were on a beach, near the land of whirlpools. They could just make out the island across the channel.<p>

Uzumaki Chiyo took charge setting up camp, getting cooking fires going, and generally helping the civilians settle in, until such time as the leaders showed up to give them the all clear to return to their homes.

Several hours later, Uzumaki Namikaze emerged from the cave, looking completely exhausted. He looked at his wife, who ran to his side, and collapsed into her arms, crying softly. After a moment, he collected himself, and then ordered all shinobi to meet him in the cave. He issued orders to the Genin to collect firewood. He sent the Chunin to hunt for food. Then Uzumaki Namikaze told the Jonin what he had witnessed. Of course, Minato stayed with the civilians, as he wasn't even a Genin yet. He went from person to person, helping set up tents and bedrolls.

The next morning, the news was delivered to the remaining shinobi and villagers. Konoha was gone. The Sixth Hokage was dead, and buried. The attackers appeared to have been killed, although one managed to get away. Now they had to make a decision. Namikaze's grandmother's ancestral home was across the channel. It would take time and hard work to make it livable, but if they all worked together, they could make it happen. The shinobi would form a council to rule temporarily, until a leader could be elected, and delegates would be sent to the other hidden villages to ascertain the situation. They couldn't afford to relax, because the enemy could be out there, and right now, the Konoha survivors were in a weakened position.

One month later, Uzumaki Namikaze was elected as the first Uzukage of the newly re-formed Uzushiogakure. Dwellings were built, defenses fortified, and plans were made for the direction of Uzushio. Word came back from their scouts. All of the hidden villages had been destroyed. Surviving shinobi had been helping to protect the few civilians remaining, and all were directed to Uzushiogakure. For several months, daily trips from the island to the mainland resulted in new members of Uzushio, new hands to help build, new arms to build defenses, new backs to plow fields.

After a year, a new academy was built in order to continue teaching the Nindo. Many students tried out, but only a few were left who were able to complete the training.


End file.
